


Kin

by JJGrace42



Series: Scrapbook of a Dimension-Traveling Sideshow [7]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Samsaric Canon Compliant, Samsaric POV Change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 17:55:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19256236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JJGrace42/pseuds/JJGrace42
Summary: And though Rin’s last choked sobs weren’t quiet, the echo of Mirai’s screaming was louder.





	Kin

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place in Chapter 1, while Kakashi’s on a mission during the twins’ second birthday.

Red laced across his bandages like a painting, though he had to admit that he’d never been one for art. He pressed his hand uselessly against his side, naively thinking that maybe he could staunch the blood that way. For a moment, the temptation to let himself bleed out reared its head, drawn out by the color purple and the sound of a teammate calling his name.

But then a little girl’s nightmare viciously interrupted those thoughts and shame dragged at his heart for even considering it.

Kakashi jerked his head to the side, searching for the little girl with hair like a wildfire. All he saw was the grey sheet of rain. His grip on his side tightened, increasing the pain as a reminder that it was there and he was alive. And he had to stay that way. Because the screaming wouldn’t stop until he could be sure that she was okay. And he’d never get to do that if he bled out. Kakashi fumbled with his shirt until he managed to pull it up. Then he pressed his hand flat against his wound.

The fire chakra sizzled against his side and Kakashi gasped in pain, back arching instinctively in an attempt to avoid the heat. “No, no, no,” he muttered. He hunched to the side and yanked his mask away so that he could throw up. Exhaustion dragged down on his bones. _Stay for a while,_ it whispered. _You’ll feel better in the morning._

He pulled himself up before he could let himself be fooled by those words. He was going to make it home, even if he had to drag himself there with every last breath in his body. He stumbled forward in the vague direction of _home._

When he limped through the gates, the guards immediately crowded him and started talking about the hospital. It took more effort than he liked to shake them off. He couldn’t go to the hospital. He couldn’t. He had to make sure she was okay. As he swayed unsteadily up the stairs to HQ, he knew he would have to fix himself up first. With that in mind, he stumbled down the hallways to his room. He tossed his mask in the vague direction of the bed and it hit the ground instead. Kakashi slammed the door and limped toward the bathroom.

“‘Nu-nii?”

He froze and all he could think was thank kami that this time the voice wasn’t screaming. She was okay, she was okay. He turned painfully towards her and managed, “Mirai-chan, shouldn’t you be in bed?” She was okay, she was okay.

“‘ightmare.”

He caught his breath. She . . . was okay? She had to be. She was right there, after all, alive and unharmed. But there was unbridled fear in her eyes and he wasn’t sure how to address that.

“You ‘urt?”

He still felt like he was dying. Kakashi croaked out, “A little.” He had to move. He couldn’t let her see him like this, not when she was already afraid. “I’ll be back as soon as I can be, alright?”

“‘kay.”

The moment he was in the bathroom with the door closed and the shower running, he let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. She was okay. He stripped out of his armor and stepped under the water that was so hot he could feel it trying to strip at his skin. A sob boiled up his throat and Kakashi muffled it behind his hand, hoping that the water drowned it out. But despite that, he couldn’t stop the pained moan that burst out when he cleaned out the cauterized wound in his side.

If he stayed in any longer, he just might drown under the water as it turned icy cold. Kakashi stumbled out and dried himself off until his skin was raw. Then he carefully, delicately bound himself with bandages. He used more than he probably should have, desperately trying to hide any visual of his wounds from Mirai’s eyes. Scrubbing his hair with a towel, he pushed back out into the room.

Mirai made an odd sound and he jerked his head to look at her in concern. She was grinning and holding up Pig in a poor attempt to hide her face.

“Yes, Mirai-chan?”

Her entire face lit up. “You’re cute.”

He stared at her, not exactly sure what to do with that. So instead of responding, he made an odd sound in return and tossed his towel aside. “Do you want to talk about your nightmare?” That was important. She was okay physically. He had to make sure she was okay overall. He reached out and brushed her hair out of her eyes.

Mirai’s grin disappeared immediately and he’d never regretted a question so much. “No,” she mumbled.

He took a shaky breath. “Alright,” he managed. Kakashi forced a tense smile and desperately tried to think of something to bring her smile back. “I’ve got a present for you, little one.” He dug through his drawers before coming up with her present. “I got a present for Naruto, too—a pair of goggles,“ —he desperately tried to keep from thinking about the teammate, another dead teammate, the Naruto reminded him so much of— “but I don’t think it’d be a good idea to wake him right now.”

And then that grin was back and Mirai ripped open the gift. _“The Slug Princess!”_ she squealed, hugging the book to her chest.

Kakashi pushed the wrapping paper onto the floor and sat down on the bed beside her. “I noticed your old book was pretty beat up.”

“Arigato, Niisan!” She threw herself at him.

Kakashi pushed down the wince and bile that rose up as she slammed into his injury. Instead, he focused on the fact that she was here with him and so he could keep her safe. Kakashi wrapped one arm around her while carefully taking her book with the other and setting it aside. He pressed Pig into her arms and it took her a moment to release him in favor of the stuffed animal. Kakashi drew the blanket up over them, tucking it carefully around her shoulders. He turned the lamp off.

Mirai hummed in comfort and settled against his bandages. Kakashi ran his fingers through her hair and listened as her breathing evened out. Her death grip on Pig loosened with sleep. Kakashi closed his eyes and let out a tired breath.

“Sorry, Rin,” he murmured. “I think I’m going to stay here just a little while longer.”


End file.
